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IMPROVEMENT IN BRIDGES;

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To ALLfwHoM Ir MArcoNcERN:

v Be it known that I, Parnu HsNDnIcKs, of Floris, in the county of Davis, and State of Iowa, have invented a Suspension-Bridge; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full; clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making'part df this specincation, in which vFigure 1 is a side elevation of my improved bridge, showing the two end trestles with portions'rf the span broken away.

Figure 2 is an elevation of one end of theA bridge. p Figure 3 shows a. mode of supporting the bridge upon a pier when two or more spans are employed. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the three figures.` t

Thisinvention relates to an improved mode of constructing suspension-bridges which are composed of4 a.

combination of wood and metal,iand sustained by means of chains arranged in avcatenary, and connected at their ends to strong trestles or towers.

The invention provides for constructing a cheap and very simple suspension-bridge, which 'shall possess n great strength and durability, and lwhich can be constructed by ordinary vwo rltinenas will be hereinafter described.

A To enable others skilled iu the art to understand my invention, Iwill describe its construction and operation.

. In thevaccompanying drawings, A A represent the supports at the shore, ends of the bridge,` which are made up of masonry, so as to form solid, unyielding foundations. B B are the transverse sill-beams, upon which are supported the ends of longitudinal sills Bl B, which incline backward, as shown in iig. 1, and a'ord supports for the upright timbers or towers" B2 B2, which latter are erected perpendicularly upon their sills, and braced by the struts e a. These frames or trestles are securely framed together and anchored down upon their shores A A, so as to ati'ord safe and strong supportsfor the bridge. Upon` the inclined'sill-beams 1?1 B1 planks are nailed, so as to form aprons, C, upon which the roadway is constructed otearth- `and, stones, extending up to a level with the ooring or roadway o't the bridge for the purpose of loading the trestles or towers," and pres venting their upper ends from approachingV each other by the application of weights upohoif the passing or repassing of loads over the bridge. The upper ends of the perpendicular standards B2 B2 areafurther` braced by means of tierods b b, extending from said upper eds down to the longitudinal sill-beams IBl Bl, andfsecured in a suitable manner thereto. Through the upper ends of the standards B2 Beye-bolts or linkse c pass, to y the outer ends of which the tic-rods b b are connected, as shown in Aiig. 1, and to their inner ends the suspension chains D are connected. These chains consist of rodsl of suitable length, connected together by means of eyes orlinks, formed on three ends lin a suitable'manner. VThe ends of the rods composing the chains may be `conl nested by binding and linking them together, and using bands, e, so as to form eyes which will not draw `out under ordinary strain. At oneormore `points in euch. chain, provisionvmay be made, by means of turn-buckles or other devices, for contracting the chains, should they extend too much after the bridge is erected. From these chains D, strips F F are suspended at'suitable points, which consist of twisted rods of 4diierent lengths, i 'according to the position which they occupy in the curve of the chains, and which have eyes formed through their lower 'ends for receiving the ends of horizontal transverse door-beams G G, and tirmly'holding these beams in their properplaces. These beams should all be supported in the same horizontal plane ivhcreit is desired to have a horizontal roadway over them. For preventing lateral displacement of the tloorbeams,`I shallI notch their ends, so that theA lower ends or loops ot' thc stirrups F F will securely embrace them at the notched points. Upon these floor-beams the stringere J are secured by means ofbolts, and when the bridge is of such length of span as to require splicing of the stringers, the ends of the latter are placed side by sidc on theiioor-beams and securely bolted together, and then fastened to each one of the floor-beams at each crossing in a substantial manner. The flooring-timbers K. are nailed upon the stringers in the usual manner, and upon this door the binders or guard-rails `L are secured, which latter prevent wagons from running against the sides of the bridge..v i

In tig. 3 I have' represented a mode of supporting two spans of bridge upon a pier, M. It will be seen that the sills and apron shown in tig. 1 are dispensed with, and the frame or trestle N secured upon' the said pier by means of anchors and bolts, the former of which are embedded deeply into the masonry of the pier, and the latter passed through the sills of the trestle, and connected to the vmichocrods.

I am aware that wire suspensionbridges with stone piers or abutments are not new, but I am not aware that a. combined of truss and wire suspension-bridge, like what I have shown, has ever been devised.

What I claim, therefore, as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy 1. The combined Wire-suspension-chain 'or cable and truss-bridge, constructed substantially in the manner herein described and shown.

2. The twisted Wire stirrups F, applied substantially in the mai-nner und for the purpose described. 3. The combination of the wooden trusses B2 N, braced, stayed, and anchored substantially as shown, with the wiresuspension-chnin or cable D, wire stirrups F, and the platform-K, all substantially as described. I W

PETER HENDRICKS.

Witnesses E. J. SHELTON, J. S. HOPKINS. 

